Medical Issues (Injury & Error)

Deaths by medical mistakes hit records

Erin McCann, Managing Editor The way IT is designed remains part of the problem WASHINGTON | July 18, 2014 It’s a chilling reality – one often overlooked in annual mortality statistics: Preventable medical errors persist as the No. 3 killer in the U.S. – third only to heart disease and cancer – claiming the lives […]

Patient Sues Hospital After Forgotten Surgical Sponge Costs Her Portion Of Intestine

CBS Los Angeles June 17, 2014 11:45 PM Full Story SIMI VALLEY (CBSLA.com) — A woman is suing Simi Valley Hospital after she says she has lived a nightmare for four years due to a medical mistake. Carol Critchfield was 56 in 2007, when she went to Simi Valley Hospital for a standard hysterectomy and […]

Miami Beach’s ‘Rock Doc’ sentenced to six years for Medicare fraud

Miami Herald > News > Breaking News Posted on Friday, 06.13.14 A Miami Beach physician dubbed the ‘Rock Doc’ gets six years in prison for stealing millions from Medicare in fraudulent billing schemes. BY JAY WEAVER JWEAVER@MIAMIHERALD.COM The Miami Beach physician dubbed the “Rock Doc” didn’t do himself any favors Friday in Miami federal court. […]

Program Cuts Use of Antibiotics in Kids

Published: Jun 11, 2013 | Updated: Jun 12, 2013 By Todd Neale , Senior Staff Writer, MedPage Today Action Points Note that this cluster-randomized trial demonstrated that outpatient pediatric practices receiving triannual feedback regarding broad-spectrum antibiotic overuse significantly decreased their rate of prescribing these medications. Be aware that this difference was driven largely by a […]

Statin Use Linked to Memory Decline in Elderly

Frontline Medical News, 2014 Jul 10, MA Otto Story Source CHICAGO (FRONTLINE MEDICAL NEWS) – More liberal lipid targets in elderly patients and lower statin doses might offset the risk of memory decline associated with statin use in these patients, Australian investigators suggested. Dr. Katherine Samaras and her associates did neuropsychometric testing on 377 subjects […]

Doctor Accused Of Sexting During Surgery

June 9, 2014 at 9:03 pm SEATTLE (CBS Seattle/AP) — The Washington state Medical Quality Assurance Commission says it has suspended the license of a Seattle anesthesiologist accused of frequently exchanging sexually explicit texts during surgeries. A statement issued Monday by the state Health Department says Dr. Arthur K. Zilberstein is accused by the commission […]

10 Horrifying Scams Committed By Healthcare Professionals

JUNE 8, 2014 by A.C. Grimes Anyone familiar with privatized healthcare probably knows from experience that the Hippocratic Oath often gives way to hypocrisy in the form of surprisingly high medical bills for simple procedures. But sometimes, healthcare professionals also succumb to the temptation to sidestep government regulations and rake in millions of illegal dollars. […]

The Failed Back Surgery Syndrome : Pitfalls Surrounding Evaluation and Treatment

Carl M. Shapiro, DO Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America Volume 25, Issue 2, May 2014, Pages 319–340 This link only shows the KEY POINTS and part of the INTRODUCTION. Impressive nevertheless. Journal Reference

Going to the doctor for back pain can be a slippery slope

The Washington Post By Jill U. Adams, Published: May 26, 2014 Story Source Back pain is one of the most common health complaints, affecting more than one in four adults every year, and a popular reason for physician visits. But most people recover from back pain whether they’re treated medically or not, says Wolf Mehling, a professor […]

Maternal Antidepressant Use Linked to Infant Brain Malformations

Medscape Medical News > Psychiatry Deborah Brauser May 23, 2014 Maternal antidepressant use may be associated with structural brain changes in infants, according to new imaging research. A retrospective cohort study of 33 children showed that the offspring of mothers who used selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during pregnancy were significantly more likely to develop […]

Antibiotic Scripts for Bronchitis Common Despite Guidelines

Medscape Medical News Marcia Frellick May 21, 2014 Physicians are prescribing antibiotics for acute bronchitis at rates between 60% and 80%, despite guidelines and educational efforts that say the rate should be zero, according to a research letter published in the May 21 issue of JAMA. For more than 40 years, the authors note, clinical trials have shown […]

SEC Charges Two Clinical Drug Trial Doctors With Insider Trading

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2014-100 Washington D.C., May 19, 2014 — The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged two California-based doctors with illegally trading on inside knowledge that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had halted the clinical trials of a new prostate cancer drug developed by biopharmaceutical company GTx Inc. The SEC alleges that Dr. […]

The Cascade of Medical Services and Associated Longitudinal Costs due to Non-Adherent MRI for Low Back Pain

Webster BS, et al. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2014 May 14. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed Reference Abstract Study Design. Retrospective cohort study.Objective. To compare type, timing, and longitudinal medical costs following adherent versus non-adherent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for work-related low back pain (LBP).Summary of Background Data. Guidelines advise against MRI for acute uncomplicated […]

Medtronic Makes $22 Million Down Payment on Spinal Fusion Suits

Published: May 6, 2014 By John Fauber, Reporter, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel/MedPage Today Medtronic said it will pay $22 million to settle about 1,000 legal claims related to its spine surgery product known as Infuse, and it is setting aside up to $140 million for an even larger number of expected claims. The payment announced Tuesday […]

Two-year comprehensive medical management of degenerative lumbar spine disease : a value analysis of cost, pain, disability, and quality of life

Two-year comprehensive medical management of degenerative lumbar spine disease (lumbar spondylolisthesis, stenosis, or disc herniation): a value analysis of cost, pain, disability, and quality of life. Parker SL, et al. J Neurosurg Spine. 2014 May 2. [Epub ahead of print] Abstract Object Current health care reform calls for a reduction of procedures and treatments that […]

Top 5 Reasons Why Internists Are Sued

by David Pittman, Washington Correspondent, MedPage Today April 28, 2014 Not properly diagnosing a condition and nonmedical errors such as equipment failure accounted for more than half of the malpractice lawsuits against internists, a study found. Researchers set out to find the reasons why internists were sued for medical malpractice and to determine how successful the lawsuits were. […]

FDA Issues Warning on Common Off-Label Neck, Back Pain Treatment

PT in Motion – News Now THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 2014 FDA Issues Warning on Common Off-Label Neck, Back Pain Treatment The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning (.pdf) about the dangers of administering epidural injections of corticosteroids to relieve neck and back pain. According to the FDA, the off-label use could result in […]

Tapping into controversial back surgeries

By BEN EISLER CBS NEWS April 24, 2014, 6:30 AM Back pain is one of the most common reasons Americans go to the doctor, and one of the fastest growing treatments is spinal fusion surgery. From 2001 to 2011, the number of spinal fusions in U.S. hospitals increased 70 percent, making them more frequently performed […]

FDA Orders New Warning for Epidural Steroids

Published: Apr 23, 2014 By John Gever, Deputy Managing Editor, MedPage Today Injectable corticosteroids must now carry a new label warning about the risks of severe adverse effects from epidural injections including death, stroke, and permanent blindness and paralysis, the FDA said. The agency decided that such a warning is needed after reviewing numerous reports […]

Spinal Corticosteroids Run Risk of Severe Neuro Effects

Robert Lowes April 23, 2014 Epidural injections of corticosteroids to relieve pain — a widespread, off-label use — run the rare risk for blindness, stroke, paralysis, and death, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced today. The FDA is requiring manufacturers of corticosteroids to revise drug labels to include this warning. In today’s announcement, […]